The high temperature here yesterday was 49 degrees. And in San Antonio that’s about as close as we get to an arctic event. Had it been raining, I have no doubt that they would have brought out the sand trucks because there is nothing Texans fear more than roads that are both cold and wet. As for me, I was just glad to have the chance to wear an actual sweater and a coat at the same time while I finished up some Christmas shopping.

Speaking of Christmas shopping, I have two great deals I want to tell you about before we commence with the fashion portion of this post.

I believe that I have documented my love/hate relationship with Smart Barre. I hate it while I’m doing it, but I love how I feel during the last five minutes of class when I realize I’m almost done. I started going to spin class this fall and enjoy it, but I still go to Smart Barre a couple of times a week because I think it makes a huge difference in how I feel and I think it’s so important to stay flexible as you get older. I can’t do anything about the fact that I can’t read a menu anymore, but I can do something to keep my arms toned.

Twelve months of Smart Barre unlimited classes are on sale for $1,000 (which is $500 in savings) and six months of unlimited classes are on sale for $500 ($280 in savings). Either option gives you unlimited access to all the classes they offer.

Sophie and I have talked about our love of Hummingbird Farms products so much that they have created a gift box packed with 6 of our favorite products just for you. It includes the new Heavy Cream Trio of 3 oz. tubes of Lavender, Lavender Citrus, and Unscented, a 3 oz travel tube of the Lavender Lotion No. 145, and our Lavender Mint Shampoo and Conditioner in 8 oz. tubes. The Big Boo Box will normally sell for $75 which is $35 savings on $110 value.

But until December 31st, they are running an even better deal on The Big Boo Box and you can get the entire thing for just $49 plus free shipping when you use the code BIGBOO26 at checkout. And I will tell you that the lavender citrus lotion alone is worth it. I can’t say enough about how much I love their products and I mean it when I tell you their heavy creams are what save my skin this time of year when it’s so dry and cold. Plus, there are enough products in that box that you can gift the entire thing or pull out a few things for yourself and gift the rest.

Now, here are some cute things I found this week that might make good Christmas gifts for yourself or someone else.

I love a sweater dress. When I was in high school I had an emerald green long sweater skirt with a matching sweater and I wore it with desert booties and pretty much thought that ensemble was the greatest thing ever. This looks super soft and would be cute with tall boots, booties or even with leggings.

I saw this at Anthropologie last weekend when Gulley and I were shopping and I told her then that I was a little bit in love with it. It’s just unique and so pretty and those sleeves. I never imagined myself owning a piece of clothing with a crane on it, but this sweater might change all of that.

I tried this on this fall and loved it. It’s super soft and perfect to wear with a pair of Converse. Or I think it would look great paired with this leith cocoon cardigan and a pair of boots when it’s cold outside.

Just in case you need a pretty dress for the holidays, I really like this one. The color is gorgeous and it’s $98 but now 50% off with no code needed at checkout. Loft actually has several great dresses if you need something like that.

I have become a fan of the beanie. I wore one the other night when I sat out at Caroline’s soccer practice and when I got home, P made fun of me because it was 68 degrees outside but whatever. Let me have my beanie. This one is $33.75 and comes in multiple colors.

I actually own this and love it. It is incredibly soft and is warm but lightweight at the same time and looks so cute with jeans and boots. I ordered it in the medium because I like stuff like this a little on the big side.

That’s right. Tight pants. I love these and not just because I sing the “Tight Pants” song every time I put them on. Remember when I told you that sweatpants aka “joggers” are back? I ordered this pair and they are my favorites. They do fit a little tighter than normal sweats, but they are still so comfortable. I’d order a size up because I think they run small. They are on sale for $45.

Listen. This is one of the many reasons why Gulley is my best friend. Many of you asked if she’d put together a Christmas wish list for teen boys and I had this in my email inbox about six hours later.

And I have to say that I think she and her boys came up with some fabulous ideas.

All types, sizes, price ranges. My guys always love a flashlight. Also, Bass Pro Shops sells a pack of ten small flashlights for just $9.99 that makes a great stocking stuffer. (It’s not online, but in the store.)

(True story: Gulley and I went to the A&M/Auburn game a year ago and the game was terrible, but it was so cold that Gulley bought an A&M sweatshirt blanket at Kyle Field and, to this day, will tell you that was the best part of the 2015 football season.)

Gulley and I had a full weekend of shopping even though it was cold and rainy here. Although I will say that we called it a day much earlier than usual on Saturday afternoon because we both felt like we were close enough to being finished and, also, ONLINE SHOPPING. So we did the only smart thing that could be done and drove home, put on dry pajamas, poured some wine and shopped on Amazon.

In fact, this year was really the first year that we were completely out of the toy zone. And I have to say that I am not sad that I’m not frantically searching for a Hatchanimal that’s completely sold out everywhere. Nothing says Merry Christmas like being price-gouged on Ebay because you’re desperate and don’t want Santa to get bad press.

Anyway, I searched high and low and here are some ideas I’ve compiled for the teen girl on your Christmas list. I realize that not all of these are for everyone, but I tried to find a little something in various price ranges and taste categories. Also, if you have any great ideas, please share in the comments! We will all be forever grateful.

Gulley remarked this weekend that Victoria’s Secret is a marketing marvel because that store never fails to be jam packed full of people. And they sell underwear. But they also know how to continually update their merchandise and their Pink Collection is a big thing for teens right now.

Caroline is all about her room smelling good. There are various ways to achieve this, but these reed diffusers seem like a better option to me than candles. You could also go with an essential oil diffuser. Or girls that age do love a candle, you just have to remind them to blow it out when they’re leaving the house.

I’m a big believer that good skincare starts early, especially because teen girls can be so prone to breakouts anyway (And then insult to injury, this happens again in your forties). When you order a Clarisonic from the Clarisonic site, you can get it engraved which is kind of a nice touch.

Marley Lilley has a ton of cute monogrammed clothing options, but this rain jacket caught my eye. Maybe because I got rained on all weekend long. But it’s worth looking around on their site because there are lots of things that would make a great gift.

If you’re looking for a fun game, this promises to be a big hit and make everybody laugh. We also love doing a puzzle or two over the Christmas break and I think these White Mountain puzzles are the best.

And so there you have it. I hope you find something here and that it alleviates some stress from your Christmas shopping experience. Best of all, you can buy all of it online. Gulley and I decided this weekend that our goal is to eventually turn the shopping weekend into a spa weekend and just order everything on the computer in between a massage and a pedicure.

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Who is Melanie?

My name is Melanie and, in some strange twist of fate, I’m also known as Big Mama because I started this blog in July of 2006 when my daughter, Caroline, was not quite three years old and I was in the process of convincing her that BIG girls use the potty and BIG girls don’t have pacifiers, thus she thought BIG was the highest compliment in the land and began referring to me as BIG MAMA.